Faculty Sponsor
Sarah Jantzi
College
Arts and Sciences
Discipline(s)
Art
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Symposium Date
Spring 5-1-2020
Abstract
It is our duty in life to share our stories, our struggles, and our hardships in order to help others feel a sense of belonging and community. This is the ideology I embraced when deciding to focus 96 POUNDS on taking control of my relationship with eating disorders. By portraying a personal battle with bulimia, binge eating, body dysmorphia, and a strained relationship with food, I have gained control of my own eating disorder narrative and created a space where eating disorders are less stigmatized and stereotyped.
Ultimately, I want to be the person to tell the story of my eating disorders and I want discussions surrounding eating disorders to feel less taboo. I was embarrassed to admit to myself I had a disorder, and once I felt confident enough to confide in others only for this trust to be broken, I found myself more scared than ever to talk about my disorder due to the stigma that comes with the labels. This project has allowed me to visualize my experience with eating disorders on my terms.
By sharing my eating disorders, I encourage others to reflect upon their behaviors that may be unintentionally harmful to those who are struggling, whether openly or internally. Additionally, I am encouraging viewers to realize eating disorders are nothing to be ashamed of, and there is nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to talking about your disorder. It is brave, it is vulnerable, and it is empowering.
Recommended Citation
Jones, Nicole, "96 POUNDS" (2020). Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 907.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/cus/907
Presentation Audio
Biographical Information about Author(s)
Nicole Jones is a senior Digital Art Major from Grand Rapids, Michigan. I chose 96 POUNDS as my topic for my senior thesis because I knew I wouldn't be able to work on a project all year if it wasn't personal and didn't carry significant meaning. So instead, I chose to focus entirely on the one thing in my past that had been completely all-encompassing.